I am so happy I found Academy of Play. My older child was graduating from another facility when I had my baby who needed alternative options. After all, as parents, the hardest decision to make is who to trust your baby with. Most tend to stay with what they know, because it's comfortable and proven to be safe even if it doesn't fit each child you have as perfectly as the last. Fortunately for my family, we found the best fit. The fit being Academy of Play. The teachers are all caring, emotionally attentive, and tuned in with each child as if they were their own. The documentation, updates throughout the day, regular photos, lesson plans, and development assessments are comforting and reassuring that my baby is well taken care of. The staff is not lazy when it comes to speaking with the children. Your child will fully be immersed in Spanish. There is no bias if the child does not come from a native Spanish speaking environment or if the child does not have a Hispanic/Spanish/Latin background. The classrooms are bright, clean, and filled with tons of art. There is always an instructor led activity and the school invites families to attend musicals, art shows, and more. The chances to be involved especially the parent/teacher meetings regardless of age does ease a lot of mom guilt I tend to have due to needing to work long hours some days. All children are welcomed and loved. I could not speak more highly of the program. read more

Would 10/10 recommend AOP to our family and friends. Our little one learned Spanish in just two weeks. The staff is so wonderful, caring and so good with kids. read more

We have had a wonderful experience at this daycare and highly recommend it. The teachers are caring, attentive, and genuinely invested in the children. Our son is happy when we drop him off, excited to see his teachers and friends, and is constantly learning new things. We appreciate the safe, nurturing environment and the excellent communication from the staff. We feel very fortunate to have found such a great place for our family. read more

We absolutely love Academy of Play and cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff and teachers. Our children are still very young and not talking yet, but it's obvious how happy they are there. They never cry at drop-off and are always excited to see their teachers each morning, which tells us everything we need to know. The teachers are phenomenal--warm, attentive, patient, and genuinely caring. They take the time to get to know each child and make them feel safe, loved, and supported. As parents, there is no greater comfort than knowing your babies are being cared for by people who truly enjoy what they do. Since starting at Academy of Play, we've watched our children thrive. They've become more social, curious, confident, and engaged with the world around them. The communication from the staff is excellent, and it's clear that a lot of thought and care goes into creating a nurturing environment where children can learn and grow. We love getting pictures and videos throughout the day to see how much fun they're having! We are incredibly grateful for the entire team and highly recommend Academy of Play to any family looking for exceptional care for their little ones. read more

My kiddo and I love this daycare!! The staff is sooo sweet, smart, communicative, and full of patience. I've seen a huge improvement in my son's speech and confidence. He's also more playful and is starting to speak Spanish! Shout out to Ms. Ale and Ms. Melissa who have become my son's favorite people!! It took him a couple weeks to get comfortable around strangers but they've become extended family and he's ready to play as soon as he sees his maestras and classmates. I also love that they post pictures on the app so you can see what they're doing throughout the day. read more

Academy of Play - Another fun and educational day - Preschools Near Me - El Cajon, California

Our family has two children at Academy of Play, and we couldn't be happier with the job they do taking care of our little ones. They are thriving and growing emotionally and intellectually, and they have such a great time every day. To the team at AoP - thank you so, so much for the amazing job you do every day helping all the children in your care! read more

My son has been going to AOP since August 2024 and we are so pleased. The teachers are so loving and truly there to see the kids thrive. I love getting daily reports of the activities he does, photos, videos, and any other messages from the teachers. Their communication is top notch which is something we truly value. We have already seen such a great impact this school has been for our son and can't wait to see how much more he continues to grow and learn in the upcoming months. Highly recommend! read more

Academy of play has been great in the 4 years we have been here. We have now sent 2 of 3 of our kids here and the 3rd one will be joining soon. Our children have learned how to communicate both in English and Spanish and come home having learned something new every day. We know our children are safe and are in capable hands throughout the day. We have recommended a number of friends to AOP and will continue to do so. read more

We love AOP! The teachers are so caring and kind. The new facility is great and they have such a nice outdoor space for the kids. We recommend AOP to everyone we know. read more

We have nothing but amazing things to say about this school. Each and every teacher is so warm, kind and patient. Our child's development and knowledge since being here has grown immensely. We will be sad to leave when the time comes to move on to Kindergarten. read more

Academy of Play is amazing! I feel comfortable leaving my children in their care! The staff are great! My favorite thing about academy of play is updated pictures throughout the day along with updates on food, potty, ect , it's a peace of mind! read more

We love Academy of Play! It is so hard as a parent to feel comfortable trusting your child in someone else's care. This stress only lasted minutes with our familia at AOP. Every single instructor is so incredibly kind, loving, and knowledgeable in child development. They provide constant updates throughout the day of activities, meals, diaper changes, and the cutest photos and artwork that cover our home. Our daughter has grown so much developmentally under their care and is so happy going to school and spending time with her wonderful Maestra's and friends. We couldn't be happier!! read more

My son attended Academy of Play for a little over 2 years and we had such an incredible experience. He was well taken care of, learned so much and you could tell his teachers really cared about him. I was constantly impressed by how much Spanish he was learning and loved the updates provided via an app throughout the day. read more

I was hesitant to write a review as I did not want to come off as bitter but after talking with other daycares and other people's experience I decided to go for it. I was drawn to this place because of the great reviews and the bilingual aspect they also had an opening which was great. After ONE DAY of my son being there they basically kicked him out. They gave me papers for concerns on his development and pointed out things that seem to be normal behavior in a toddler. They claimed he was dangerous to other children in the class and because he didn't play with toys "normally" and would knock over furniture. After one day there they said he could no longer be enrolled there. While I am a pretty reasonable person and understand the dangers this may impose on other children, they did not give him time to adjust to a new surrounding. He has never been in daycare nor socialized with other children which I told them prior to enrollment. I also understand they have a two week grace period but I feel like this needs to be adjusted based on care as well (full time vs part time). Also, to present me with papers on how my child may be autistic because he hasn't met certain milestones was just kind of like wow. I went home that night and attempted to work on the concerning behaviors and he has definitely improved since they were brought to my attention. I also spoke with my pediatrician who said that these are normal toddler behaviors and do not raise red flags until they are over the age of 2 which he was not. Furthermore, it seems slightly discriminatory since they were concerned with him possibly being autistic but then they kicked him out? Where other daycares said they are able to accommodate autistic children or those on the spectrum. Overall, I feel like they could have come about everything completely differently. A great example would be that they noticed certain behaviors in my child and that they would like to have us work on them at home and IF they had not improved in 2 weeks or so then we would not be able to continue care. They also never greeted us in the morning when we did drop off and it just seemed as though after day one they made up their mind about him and did not want us to continue going there. While this place may seem great for some people I think your child must be completely well behaved, socialized or been in daycare since they were an infant. Just a warning if you'd like your child to attend here make sure they tick all those boxes. I will say though it was a blessing they did kick us out because I would not want my child attending this place anyway. read more

This preschool has brought out my grandson's personality and has shown him just how fun learning can be. He is an only child and was a bit shy about going to school The small classroom/teacher ratio was just what he needed to flourish! I am so glad his parents chose this academy I'm so proud of the Spanish he has learned , but most of all he has his letter and number recognition all set for his kindergarten start thanks Academy of Play!! My other daughters little girl has started now she is one years old and is already understanding many sentences in Spanish she is very comfortable with the teachers which is very important to me and is excited when we pull up in the driveway so happy for both of my grandchildren read more

My son has been going here for a few months now and already knows more spanish than me! To say I am impressed by this scool would be a huge understatement!!!! The teachers are AMAZING! Loving, caring and patient!! We are extremely cautious of who watches our child, but from day one the staff and the director keep in touch with parents and send daily updates as well as pictures of my son playing and learning. My son is excited everyday to go to see his teacher and is learning so much!! Thank you Academy of Play!! Great school and price is great too! read more

My little one loves Academy of Play and Miss Stephany. It was very difficult to find a bilingual, clean and safe daycare for my LO in the middle of a pandemic. We finally came across AOP and we loved it. Vianney was very helpful with the virtual tour and giving us information that helped us decide this was the right place for us. My son comes home happy and more confident. He has lots of friends now and mostly he has lots of fun. The app is amazing too! read more

This is my daughter's first time being away from home and around other children. I was worried how she would do but as soon as we came in everyone made us feel welcomed and she was so happy. I love the updates they give with pictures because it keeps me from worrying and let me know what she is enjoying throughout the day. She is so happy to wake up and go to "school" she ask to go. I recommend it 100%. read more

Absolutely love AOP! I can tell my son is learning and making advancements for his age. They send you pictures and updates through out the day so you can see what activities they're doing. I love that it's Spanish immersion as well. I'm so happy to have found this school. Looking forward for their new location to open up! read more

My daughter started attending this school as soon as it opened and both she and I are thrilled at all she has been learning, now she is teaching the whole family Spanish! The teachers are so friendly and I feel 100% comfortable leaving her in their care. The facility is very clean, which is what I first noticed, but also very warm and inviting. We are so happy we found this preschool!!! read more

The sweetest daycare with the sweetest employees! My son runs in so happy. They update you with EVERYTHING which I love. Their communication is excellent and I couldn't imagine ever sending my son anywhere else. read more